Greene County man sentenced to state prison in 2019 fatal shooting
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Cassandra Worry told the man who killed her brother, William Worry III, that she would forgive him for fatally shooting him inside a Monongahela Township mobile home in 2019.
鈥淎nthony King, I forgive you,鈥� Worry told him during his sentencing hearing Monday morning in Greene County Court. 鈥淚 strongly believe God will do what鈥檚 right and give you the punishment you deserve.鈥�
But later during the hearing when King spoke briefly to 鈥済enuinely apologize鈥� for the killing, Worry鈥檚 family appeared unmoved by his words.
鈥淚鈥檓 not asking for forgiveness,鈥� King said in a hushed, monotone voice. 鈥淚鈥檓 asking that you understand what happened that night.鈥�
Worry鈥檚 father, Bill, interrupted and ordered King to look directly at their family as he spoke.
鈥淚鈥檓 over here,鈥� Bill Worry said before he abruptly got up and left the courtroom.
King, 24, was convicted by a Greene County jury in May of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and two counts of reckless endangerment in the Feb. 14, 2019, shooting death of Worry, a Smithfield resident, inside King鈥檚 Alicia Main Street residence. The jury acquitted him on first- and third-degree murder charges in the case.
Following a three-hour hearing Monday, President Judge Lou Dayich sentenced King to serve 6 to 12 years in state prison. Since King has been held without bond since the killing more than three years ago, he could be eligible for parole by early 2025.
Worry III, 23, died at the scene after King shot him in the face with a 12-gauge shotgun. Worry had been helping his ex-girlfriend move children鈥檚 toys out of King鈥檚 home when he was shot.
鈥淗e destroyed our lives,鈥� Bill Worry said of King during victim impact statements. 鈥淚t鈥檒l never be back to the way it was before.鈥�
Worry鈥檚 relatives spent nearly two hours speaking about how his death affected them as they referred to him by his nickname 鈥淪pank.鈥�
鈥淢y world came crashing down in an instant and my heart shattered to pieces,鈥� said his mother, Susan Worry. 鈥淪pank wasn鈥檛 perfect, we all have our faults, but he was perfect to me.鈥�
Worry鈥檚 fianc茅e, Sierra Huff, told the court that when his family gathered together upon hearing news of his death, she learned that he intended to propose to her on Valentine鈥檚 Day. Worry鈥檚 parents brought out a ring box and gave it to her hours after his death, which she wore in the courtroom.
鈥淵ou not only took away his future, but you took away mine, as well,鈥� Huff said.
She said their 5-year-old son, Liam, doesn鈥檛 understand why his father is gone and is still traumatized.
鈥淗e鈥檚 angry. He鈥檚 bitter. He tells me he can鈥檛 wait to go to heaven to visit daddy,鈥� she said.
There were also numerous supporters of King sitting in the packed courtroom, including a few who testified on his behalf. Several of them said King was a good person who came from a broken home growing up and was trying to make a better life for himself. Kim Barton, who considered herself King鈥檚 surrogate mother in his later years, said he expressed remorse after the killing.
鈥淗e wished it鈥檇 never happened,鈥� Barton said, recounting a conversation she had with King a couple of months after the shooting. 鈥淚f he could change it, he would.鈥�
But Greene County District Attorney David Russo disputed the notion that King was sorry for what he did and called the killing 鈥渃allous鈥� by shooting another man in the face from just a few feet away.
鈥淗e knew exactly what he was doing at that time. 鈥� This is not someone who showed remorse,鈥� Russo said.
As sheriff鈥檚 deputies escorted a shackled King from the courtroom after the hearing, Cassandra Worry walked toward him and briefly stood face-to-face with her brother鈥檚 killer, although neither said a word and they went in opposite directions after a moment. It was not known when King would be transferred from the Greene County jail into the state prison system.